Illuminated-sign device.



A. F. CONNER & G. L. WILLETT.

ILLUMINATED SIGN DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, me.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

WI T IVESSES. INVENTOR 1 61192 F Conner T d T T ABNER F. CONN ER AND GUY L. WILLET'I, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO THOS. CUSACK COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION.

ILLUMINATED-SIGN DEVICE.

Application filed March 8, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ABNER F. CoNNER and GUY L. WILLETT, citizens of the United States, and residents of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Illuminated- Sign Device; and We do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

The invention relates to improvements in illuminating signs wherein the bulbs or globes have on them translucent caps for sub duing or coloring the lights, said caps being removably mounted on the bulbs or globes.

The object of this invention is to enable the cap to perform not only the function of a translucent cap, whereby the light is colored, but also to reflect on the background of the sign or lamp a large portion of the light, whereby the beauty and attractiveness and significance of the illumination of the sign will be greatly enhanced. The light reflected back on the background is always white and illuminates the background, while the caps may be red, green or other color and cause the lettering or design to stand out in fine contrast with the highly illumined background.

The chief feature of the invention for accomplishing the object referred to is the use of caps having fiat sections or facets with flat surfaces for reflecting a large portion of the light against the background.

Still another feature consists in the means of securing the cap to the bulb or globe.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of an illuminating sign illustrating said invention, only one lamp being shown and the background being partially broken away. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cap with a lamp shown by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a section through the cap and a portion of the lamp on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

This invention is not limited to any particular kind of background or lamp, nor to the number or arrangement of lamps. One lamp is here shown to illustrate the nature of the invention. Said lamp is secured to a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, T916.

Serial No. 82,972.

background 10 of the sign made in any desired way and it has sockets 11 in such numbers and order as will bring out the proper lettering or design of the sign, only one socket being here shown. The bulb 12 is removably secured in said socket as is familiar to all.

The cap 15 is substantially rectangular in elevation, as shown in Fig. 2, and tapers outwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Therefore, it has four flat sides or facets coming to a point or apex, but it is all one integral cap formed of translucent glass and colored, if desired, to make the sign satisfactory in the matter of color. Each corner of the cap at 16 is recessed in the mold of the cap so that all of the corners are removed. There is on the outer surface of the cap grooves 17 running diagonally in both directions from the corners to the apex and in these grooves two wires 18 lie, crossing each other at the apex of the cap and bending downward through the recesses 16 at the corners and then to the inward to clasp the lamp or bulb 12 within the greatest diameter thereof. These inwardly ex tending ends or fingers of the wire hold the cap removably in place on the bulb and hold the cap outward beyond the widest diameter of the bulb or lamp globe so the reflecting power of the inner fiat surfaces of the cap will be great.

A portion of the light, of course, passes through the cap, but a large portion of it is reflected back against the background or sign board 10.- The effect is very striking and peculiar. At a short distance from the sign if the caps be of some striking color, like red, the caps will be distinctly distinguishable from the background. .At a greater distance the coloring of the caps and background will merge so that the caps will be scarcely distinguishable and there will be a smooth even effect throughout the sign. At a still greater distance, however, the caps will again be distinguishable. In other words, the relation between the light passing through the caps and the light reflected on and from the background varies according to the position of the observer.

The invention claimed is:

l. The combination with a lamp bulb or the like, of a cap formed of translucent material with a plurality of flat surfaces inclined to an apex so that the cap is substantially pyramidal and having diagonal grooves in the outer surfaces of said cap, and Wires fitting in said grooves with their inner ends bent in and clamping said bulb or the like.

2. The combination With a lamp bulb or the like, of a cap formed of translucent material With a plurality of flat surfaces inclined to an apeX so that the cap is substantially pyramidal and having diagonal grooves in the outer surface thereof and with the corners recessed, and Wires in said grooves and extending through the recessed corners With the inner ends formed to clamp said lamp bulb or the like.

3. The combination with a lamp bulb or the like, of a cap for said bulbs or the like composed of translucent material and formed of flat sectional portions, diagonal grooves in the outer surface thereof, and Wires in said grooves With their inner ends bent to form clamps for securing said cap to a lamp bulb or the like.

4. The combination with a lamp bulb or the like, of a cap for said bulbs or the like Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

